SUMMARY OF THE NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS (EXTENSION) ACT, 1915
The main provisions of the Act having reference to England and Wales are:
1. That the notification of births and still-births is made compulsory in all cases.
2. That the powers of Sanitary Authorities for dealing with maternity and infancy are extended to County Councils.
3. That a Committee or Committees may be set up for exercising these powers, which must include women and may include other than members of the Authority.
The clause referring to this committee reads as follows: “Any such powers may be exercised in such manner as the Authority direct by a committee or committees, which shall include women, and may comprise, if it is thought fit, persons who are not members of the Authority. Any such committee may be empowered by the Authority by which it is appointed to incur expenses up to a limit for the time being fixed by the Authority, and, if so empowered, shall report any expenditure by them to the Authority in such manner and at such times as the Authority may direct. A committee appointed for the purposes of this section shall hold office for such period, not exceeding three years, as the Authority by which it is appointed may determine.”
As regards Scotland and Ireland, the powers conferred are considerably larger, as the Local Authority “within the meaning of the principal Act may make such arrangements as they think fit, and as may be sanctioned by the Local Government Board for Scotland (or Ireland), for attending to the health of expectant mothers and nursing mothers, and of children under five years of age within the meaning of Section 7 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908.”
The clause as regards administration by committees including women applies also to Scotland and Ireland.